Packaged ham products are being loaded with water to bump up the price according to consumer group Choice.
Choice has analysed about 50 ham products and found that most contain chemicals designed to retain extra water.
Some products are more than one third water.
Choice spokesman, Christopher Zinn, said that “some of them are 3 %, 4%, 5%, and that’s okay. But 38% water, you’d really have to wonder.
“And if you work out what the price you’re paying for this water (is), it’s about the same as what you’d pay for a pretty good bottle of Australian sparkling wine,” he said.